Seeing, feeling and exploring places and cultures of the world

Three Months across Indonesia

If you have been following my blog for a while, you must have noticed that on July 1 this year I embarked on an extended trip – longer than any I had ever done – across South and Southeast Asia to follow the ancient Spice Route. We are now in Mandalay on our last day in Myanmar before heading to India, to explore the spice trading ports on both the Malabar and Coromandel Coasts along with some other places in the country. We were in Indonesia for the first three months of this trip and for me it was such an eye-opening journey as I got to know my country better and encountered so many different cultures that make up this large and unbelievably diverse nation.

On July 1 James flew from Hong Kong to Jakarta and we were joined by two fellow bloggers, Bart and Badai, to start our two-week overland trip across Java. I was born on the island and had traveled quite extensively across its length before. But even on the world’s most populous island – more than half of Indonesia’s 250 million people live in Java – there are still many relatively hidden gems waiting to be discovered and explored. The following are some of the highlights of our three-month trip across the archipelago.

JAVA

We started in Jakarta and went eastward to Cirebon, an important port in West Java. In the city we explored the sultan’s palace and the old town district. Then we continued to Dieng Plateau in Central Java, a volcano-fringed highland at the center of the island – home to some of its oldest Hindu temples dating back to the 8th century AD. After Dieng we went to Jogja (Yogyakarta), considered the cultural heart of Java where impressive ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples abound. From Jogja we moved to Solo without Bart and Badai as they had to fly back to Jakarta. Solo is another hotspot for exploring Javanese culture as it boasts two Javanese royal palaces and a lively art scene that can only be rivaled by that of Jogja.

James and I then went to the north coast to visit Semarang, my city of birth and where my parents currently live. Food was the highlight of this part of the trip as nothing beats homemade Indonesian dishes. From Semarang we took a day-trip to Pati with short stops in Demak and Kudus to see some of Indonesia’s oldest mosques with hints of prevalent Hindu culture. After 10 days, we left Semarang for Surabaya in East Java to spend one night in the city before going further east. The following day we continued to Banyuwangi, Java’s easternmost city, also our base to visit Ijen Crater. At the end of our trip across Java we stayed in very basic accommodation at Baluran National Park and visited a beach called… Bama!

SUMATRA

We started our two-week exploration of Sumatra from its northernmost province, Aceh. We stayed in the capital, Banda Aceh, before crossing the strait to get to Sabang, the country’s westernmost city. From Aceh we continued to North Sumatra to visit some of the province’s most famous historical, cultural and natural sites in Medan, Berastagi, Parapat, and Samosir Island at Lake Toba. We learned further details about the fascinating culture and history of the Batak people on Samosir, a predominantly Christian society in largely Muslim Sumatra.

After North Sumatra we went to West Sumatra, a province known for its cuisine and distinct Minangkabau culture. Not only the home of rendang, the province also has some of the most unique palaces and houses in Sumatra with curving roofs reaching for the sky. Bukittinggi, Payakumbuh, and Batusangkar form Minangkabau’s cultural triangle with Pagaruyung Palace as one of the highlights.

Sabang, Indonesia’s Westernmost City

Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh

Mie Aceh (Acehnese Noodles)

Verdant Samosir Island

A Toba Batak Traditional House

Traditional Dance in the Village of Simanindo, Samosir

Gorga Sculpture on A Batak House

Istano Basa Pagaruyung (Pagaruyung Palace) in Batusangkar

West Sumatra Grand Mosque in Padang, Still Under Construction

SULAWESI

I fell in love with this island.

We didn’t spend as much time on Sulawesi as we did on other islands since we planned this island only to be a stopover before going east to the Spice Islands – the raison d’être of this trip. We started in the capital, Makassar, and went north to Tana Toraja in the Torajan highlands, home to a Christian society where life revolves around death. No one does burial ceremonies as lavishly and elaborately as the Torajans do. We also went to Rammang-Rammang, home to one of the oldest cave paintings in the world dating back to some 40,000 years ago.

A Torajan Stone Burial at Lemo

Tampang Allo Cave with Centuries-Old Erong (Decorated Wooden Coffins)

The Village of Ke’te Kesu’

A Closer Look at A Tongkonan (Torajan Traditional House)

Tongkonans amid Rice Terraces

Endless Rice Terraces at the Torajan Highlands

Rammang-Rammang Karst Hills Near Makassar

Home to One of the Oldest Cave Paintings in the World

Es Pisang Ijo, A Dessert from Makassar

MALUKU (THE MOLUCCAS)

Maluku consists of a group of small islands spread over the vast seas east of Sulawesi, northeast of Nusa Tenggara, and west of the island of New Guinea. It is where nutmeg and clove are originally from. It was the reason for Chinese, Indian, and Arab traders to sail all the way to this part of the world to buy spices and sell them to the international market. It was also the catalyst for Europeans to embark on the Age of Exploration and Discovery which led to European colonization of much of the world in the following centuries.

Nutmeg could only be found on the Banda Islands, a group of islets in a remote part of Indonesia surrounded by the deepest sea in the country, while clove came from the islands of Ternate, Tidore, and other small islands in North Maluku. As the price of both spices skyrocketed in European markets, it promised unprecedented wealth especially to the Dutch and British merchants, fueling fierce competition between the two in Asia. Retracing parts of the old Spice Route was the main reason why James and I planned this trip three years ago.

Nutmeg, Originally from the Banda Islands

Mace, Thin Bright Red Layer that Covers the Nutmeg

Clove, Originally from Ternate, Tidore and Nearby Islands in North Maluku

Fort Belgica in Banda, Overlooked by Gunung Api, An Active Volcano

The View of Banda Neira from Gunung Api

Hatta Island in Banda, Where We Had Our Best Snorkeling Experience to Date

On the Way to the Islands of Ai and Run, the Latter was England’s First Ever Overseas Colony

Looking Towards the Small Island of Nailaka with Gunung Api in the Background

Cheerful Boys of Banda

And the Girls

Fried Eggplant in Kenari (Wild Almond) Sauce

Fort Tolukko in Ternate

The View of Tidore from Fort Kalamata, Ternate

Lake Tolire Besar in Ternate, Purportedly Infested with Crocodiles

A Complete Set of Popeda (Also Called Papeda), Ternate

What about the other islands?

With more than 17,000 islands (13,500 according to another calculation) it is always hard for me to answer the question “How much time should I spend traveling in Indonesia?” since the distance between Sabang in the far west to Merauke in the far east is further than the distance between Lisbon and Moscow, or Seattle and Orlando. Even for me as a born and bred Indonesian, I have not explored even half of this vast archipelago.

However for this trip we decided to omit Bali (both of us have been so many times) and Nusa Tenggara, including Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara (we climbed Rinjani and went to the island’s southern beaches in 2013) and Flores in East Nusa Tenggara (we took an overland trip from Maumere to Labuhan Bajo in 2014). We have to skip Kalimantan (Borneo) and Papua this time for neither of them played a major role in the spice trade. We also have to put other smaller islands on our wishlist for now, waiting for other opportunities to visit them in the future. Also bear in mind that we didn’t even visit half of Sumatra on this trip and only a fraction of Sulawesi.

What’s next?

Starting in January 2016 I will publish the stories from each place I visited on this extended trip, beginning with places in Indonesia all the way to the ones in Malaysia, Myanmar, and South Asia. Thank you for reading and leaving comments on the posts from my previous trips, and for patiently waiting for the ones from this Spice Odyssey.

Thank you very much for joining us, Bart. We wish you could ‘ngintil’ longer. 😀
Oh by the way I think you would love Myanmar for its ancient temples and food. The way people serve food here is quite comparable to what Minang people do.
Makasih Bart. For Nepal we will retrace the places you visited. 🙂

Bama, 3 months or 1 year across Indonesia always not enough, with its beautiful gems comes out everyday. I always enjoy your stories as usual. I wish both of you enjoy Bagan, Mandalay and Myanmar as I did 3 years ago. How I miss Shwedagon after reading James’ post.
Please take care both of you, enjoy your trip in India. And when will you reach Nepal? December? Argh… you will find lots of joyful happiness there. Have a great spice journey…
PS perhaps you have to challenge yourself to make a post as a chef in India. Cant wait for that Bama…

And these are just the highlights. Many people go to Maluku for its beautiful beaches and wonderful marine life. But it is in fact a very fascinating place to learn not only the history of Indonesia but also the world. Hope you can make it there soon.

It was so helpful to get an overview of what you and James have been up to. Of course, I’ve been following both of your posts the whole time (and before!), but it was great to track your travels as a whole. What a luxury to be able to spend weeks at a time in certain places, and I love that your whole trip has a theme. I may have to steal that idea some day!

James is quite productive in writing posts during the trip, while I need more time to absorb things and find the writing perspective I’m most comfortable with. So this post acts not only as a summary of the highlights of our trip in Indonesia, but also a teaser of how extensive my posts on the country will be. 🙂
Getting a theme is actually a good thing, at least it works well for both of us. We both love eating and cooking, and since the theme of this trip is the Spice Route, it constantly reminds us to explore local dishes from the places we go — something we really enjoy doing.

Hi Sue. Truly it was! We just arrived in Goa, India after a long trip from Mandalay in Myanmar to Bangkok then Chennai, Mumbai, and eventually Goa. All only in two days — thanks to some flight schedule change and the transit we had to make. We’re ready to explore India now. 🙂

Wow! What a journey Bama! Sulawesi is the standout for me. Especially the decorated wooden coffins in the Tampang Allo cave. and the Torajan architecture. Followed by the food of course. Fab post. Indonesia tourism board would do well to hire you two! 🙂

We only spent one week in Sulawesi and we instantly realized that the island really deserved a much longer time. It’s really fascinating and eye-opening to learn how important death is for the Torajans. Ha! Actually I told James a few times that Indonesia tourism board should hire him for all his beautiful posts on the country. By the way we arrived in Chennai last night, and reached Goa this afternoon after a stopover in Mumbai. It should have been a nonstop flight from Chennai to Goa, but Jet Airways changed the schedule so we had to make a detour a little bit.

Wow, Bama. Your photos and experiences are just breathtaking. I’m seeing Indonesia from a whole new perspective — much deeper below the surface — thanks to you. No doubt I will return there someday, and take much of my inspiration from what you’ve shared and experienced. Thank you.

Indonesia’s always been on my list. And your photos are fantastic! I love how you captured the architecture of the original buidlings, with their angled roofs. Also, the food looks delicious. I’ll have to visit.

Thank you, Andrea. Based on my observation a lot of Indonesian vernacular buildings are inspired by buffalo horn, thanks to the nation’s largely agricultural society. Yes, you definitely have to visit! 🙂

They certainly are, Randall. I can’t wait to go back to Indonesia and explore more. I’m in southern India now, and I’ve already decided that I need to return to the country in the future. I guess that’s what traveling does to us. 🙂
Thank you, Randall. Happy travels to you too!

That is the beauty of travel. India hit me hard as well, it was work travel for me and within the first day I thought “maybe I’ll open an office here…” A feeling of magic and a great culture. Thanks Bama ~

This is an incredible post. I followed your blog specifically because of this post. I am going to Indonesia in May and this was super helpful in the early stages of my planning. Since I love your blog so much, I nominated you for a Liebster Award. You can check out the post here: http://btravelsbetter.com/2015/11/10/leibster-award-nomination/

Thank you very much, B! 🙂 May should be great as it is usually the beginning of dry season in most parts of Indonesia. I’m glad this post helps you plan out your itinerary. I hope you have a really wonderful time in the country!
Thanks for the nomination too. I really appreciate it!

Thank you, Miriam. I want to explore more of Indonesia every time I look at those photos. But that’s the feeling I always feel every time I travel to big countries — China and India, for example. One visit will never do the country justice.

Your post clearly shows that you had an overwhelming experience at the calm places! The wonderful pictures in itself speaks about the beauty and life of these places. The story of your journey to Myanmar tempts me to plan my trip soon.

I really love going to quiet places just because I have been living in a very big city that is Jakarta since 2008. Escaping to those places keep me sane. 🙂
Speaking of Myanmar, you should go soon because the country is changing so fast.

Great post – I am completely transfixed by Indonesia – its a remarkable country so full of culture wonder and beauty… We went for our honeymoon there, and got to experience Bali, Lombox, The Gilli Islands, Flores, Rinca and Komodo Island – was INCREDIBLE… may even be my favourite location. Thank you for showing me some of the otehr parts – Java looks stunning… Your very lucky to be there – We at A wandering Memory are very jealous… Would love to hear more – if you wanna get in touch!

Funny thing is despite its size, a lot of people are still not aware of how big Indonesia is. Here in India someone asked me if I was in Indonesia during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, without realizing how far Jakarta is from Aceh. Another person who used to work in a ship asked me the name of a small port in Indonesia, and I told him that they are many. Anyway, it sounds like you had a really nice time in Indonesia — Bali and Flores are some of my favorite islands. You should go back! 😀 It’s really nice to connect with you, but currently I’m still traveling in southern India and internet connection is not always reliable here. I should check your blog once I’m home. Thanks for reading and leaving such a nice comment!

these pictures are amazing. i went to Bali in 2014 and it was wonderful, the weather was great too! really love your blog, following it now 🙂 you can check out my blog at http://www.araresyzygy.wordpress.com

I have very little knowledge about Indonesia apart from Bali being one of the most sought after place among tourists. But your blog has helped me gain some more insight into this beautiful country.Thanks and Happy travelling.

Hi Darshan. After traveling for almost a month in India, I learned that in general Indians have little knowledge about Indonesia, partly because Indian children don’t learn much about Southeast Asian countries at school. So I’m really glad this post helps you understand more about Indonesia. Thank you and happy travels too!

What a great collection of photos. I am struck at how similar the houses in Sumatra are to those in Tana Toraja. I think of all the places you went, I am most jealous of Banda and Myanmar. Can’t wait to read more from you and James when you get time to publish. Enjoy the rest of your journey.

Thanks Jeff! That’s exactly what I thought when I saw those houses. You can clearly see similarities among Torajan, Batak, and Tao (in Taiwan’s Orchid Island) traditional houses. Or at least that’s what I felt. I know you would love Banda. Historical forts, volcanoes, great underwater life… it’s tiny and remote but it’s worth the journey. As for Myanmar, the country is changing fast. Really fast. Hopefully you’ll get to visit Myanmar sooner than later. We’re in Bhaktapur, Nepal now, and this place is so photogenic!

It really was, Marjorie! I planned this trip three years ago and started saving really hard two years ago. I will soon publish a post where I will explain what I did in those two years to reach my saving goal. 🙂
Ha! You have to fit in my not-so-big backpack though. 🙂

Bama, This spice journey definitely adds spice, to the life of every person, who reads it. It’s a beautiful world and there is so much more to discover. Thanks for your effort in finding and presenting these hidden jewels to the rest of the world. Happy Exploring !!!

That is very kind of you, Darshan. I’m glad if the journey I took actually inspires others to go out of their comfort zones and explore the world — by doing so we create better understanding among people from different countries. Happy exploring too!

Oh I surely hope so. But Indonesia is just so huge — every time I complete a trip I always learn new places in the country and the list keeps going on! A different travel mission is actually one of the ideas I’ve been pondering for quite some time now.

We have almost come to an end of our own 2 month trip through Indonesia. Lake Toba was certainly a highlight, the Batak people are wonderful hosts. 2 months is nowhere near enough to see the delights of this country though!

Hi Sinead. I’m glad to know that you spent a considerable amount exploring Indonesia since it is very sprawling. Which parts of the country did you and Jimmy explore? I was actually a bit disappointed when I went to Lake Toba for the second time last year because there was more noise than in my first visit three years earlier. Was the island and the lake tranquil at the time of your visit?